03/09/2026
Has your child started school with there first mobile.
It’s great you can keep in touch but make sure you’re in control.
📱🏫 This new school term may be the first time your child or young person has access to a smartphone or digital device.
With so many apps, social media sites and gaming platforms, it can be hard to know how to keep your kids safe online.
Below are some tips and tricks which may be helpful 👇
✅ Enable privacy settings on both your child’s device(s) and individual apps.
✅ Activate parental controls to help filter inappropriate content and manage screen time.
✅ Talk to your children about what apps and platforms they are using and learn how to use them.
✅ Agree ground rules about how your family uses technology such as time limits, leaving the bedroom door open when on devices and leaving devices downstairs at bedtime.
✅ Set online profiles to private.
✅ For younger children ensure they use nicknames and avatars rather than real names and photos. Teach them to only talk to people they know online and not to share personal information like where they live or go to school.
✅ Disable location sharing on apps.
✅ Have regular open conversations about what your young person is doing online. Habitually remind them about safety and to report bullying or uncomfortable or inappropriate interactions online to a trusted adult.
✅ Learn about online harms - misogyny, po*******hy, cyberbullying, self-harm, nudes, sexting and sextortion and fake news and AI – and talk to your young person about them.
✅ Talk about the importance of creating a positive digital footprint and remind them that anything they upload – even just a comment on a post – can stay online forever.
✅ Ask them how they stay safe online. See how much they know – they might teach you something!
We have signposted to more information and resources, including on how to start online safety conversations with your young person, in the comments below👇
